# Accident 19980609025689A: Stephens H James SPORTCOPTER VORTEX, Chinook, MT, June 9, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 9, 1998, 05:45 local time
- Place: Chinook, MT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.4709° N, 109.2106° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.4709&lon=-109.2106&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9261N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9261N-1999-05-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Stephens H James SPORTCOPTER VORTEX (registry code 05630D4, https://openairdocs.org/model/stephens-h-james-sportcopter-vortex) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 2,322 total, 21 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA091) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980609025689A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE BUILDER OF THE GYROPLANE, HAD LOGGED ABOUT 21 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN GYROPLANES, BUT DID NOT HAVE A GYROPLANE RATING.  A WITNESS OBSERVED THE GYROPLANE'S DEPARTURE AND CLIMB-OUT FROM THE AIRPORT.  WHEN THE GYROPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 400-500 FEET AGL, THE WITNESS OBSERVED  THE NOSE PITCH DOWN SLIGHTLY, THEN RAPIDLY UPWARD ABOUT 40 DEGREES, THEN DOWN RAPIDLY ABOUT 40 DEGREES BELOW HORIZONTAL THEN BACK UP AS BEFORE.  THE WITNESS SAID THE GYROPLANE  THEN SEEMED TO FALL NEARLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARD TO THE GROUND, AND SPECULATED THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE AIRCRAFT.  FAA INSPECTORS, HOWEVER, FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF INFLIGHT BREAKUP, OR A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRIKE OF THE EMPENNAGE.        (-23)JUNE 9, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 0545 MST, SPORTSCOPTER N9261N, MODEL STEVEN JAMES, S/N 001 IMPACTED THE GROUND.  THE PILOT, WHO WAS SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED.  THE AIRCRAFT BURNED AFTER IMPACT.  WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING ON AN NW TO SE HEADING, ABOUT 1/4 MILE NE (100 YARDS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 2) OF CHINOOK AIRPORT, CHINOOK, MONTANA.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 400 TO 500 FEET WHEN IT BEGAN  TO DESCEND IN ALTITUDE AND THEN C LIMBED IN ALTITUDE. AFTER TWO OF THESE PORPOISE EFFECT MOTIONS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THEN FELL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT WAS CONCENTRATED IN AN AREA OF ABOUT 15 FEET TO 20 FEET AND OUTWARD TO 100 FEET IN DIAMETER.  LARGER PIECES OF MAIN ROTOR BLADE WERE FOUND ABOUT 60 FEET AND 36 FEET AWAY.  THE FLIGHT PATH WAS INSPECTED WITH NO AIRCRAFT PARTS FOUND.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA98LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA091), Jun 9, 1998: Stephens Vortex (N9261N), Chinook, MT, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control for an undetermined reason.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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